Ludwig Loewe, the Forgotten Pioneer Industrialist of Imperial Berlin

Ludwig Loewe (1837-1886) laid the foundations for mass production in the German metal industry with the help of American precision machinery. Instead of making sewing machines the German Army engaged the Loewe factory to make rifle parts which eventually led the Loewe conglomerate to become the largest small arms producer in Europe.

Despite Ludwig Loewe's pivotal role in Germany's pre-WW1 industrial success, only sparse information on him and his work remains. His Jewish enterprise was expropriated post-1933, falling under Günther Quandt's control, where it stayed post-WW2. All company records and correspondence subsequently disappeared. However, when the few remaining information fragments are contextualized, a fuller picture of this extraordinary man emerges. A man who devoted much to his homeland, only for his heirs to be exiled and stripped of everything.

Autorentext

Heidi Zogbaum served as an Adjunct Professor and Deputy Director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, from 2008 to 2021. She is also a Fellow of The University of Melbourne's Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies.

Klappentext

Despite Ludwig Loewe s pivotal role in Germany s pre-WW1 industrial success, only sparse information on him and his work remains. His Jewish enterprise was expropriated post-1933, falling under Günther Quandt s control, where it stayed post-WW2. All company records and correspondence subsequently disappeared. However, when the few remaining information fragments are contextualized, a fuller picture of this extraordinary man emerges. A man who devoted much to his homeland, only for his heirs to be exiled and stripped of everything.

Inhalt

Foreword - 1. Introduction - 2. The Making of Ludwig Loewe - 3. Berlin and Ferdinand Lassalle - 4. State- of- the- Art of Machine Tools in Europe - 5. First Steps towards a Political Career - 6. The Beginnings of Ludwig Loewe & Co K.G. - 7. On the Other Side of the Atlantic - 8. Pratt & Whitney in Berlin - 9. Entry into National Politics - 10. The Fight Against Anti- Semitism - 11. Bismarck and Ludwig Loewe & Co K. G., Arms Manufacturer - 12. The Last Four Years - Epilogue - Bibliography - Index